


Like Emptiness in Harmony, I Need Someone to Comfort Me

by wildlilies



Category: Doctor Who RPF
Genre: Doctor Who AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-20
Updated: 2013-07-01
Packaged: 2017-12-05 21:44:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/728228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wildlilies/pseuds/wildlilies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Doctor Who RPF AU:  Matt Smith just thought he was doing a good deed when he picked up the hitchhiker in the rain.  He never thought one simple act of kindness could turn his world upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Wind, It Carries Me, and Eases Up My Load

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first Mattex story! I would love your feedback! Thanks! :)  
> Story title from the song, "Homeward Bound" by Simon and Garfunkel

Matt hated driving when the weather was bad. Rain made him sleepy, and bad conditions always made him nervous, forcing him to pay extra attention to the road. Even the most careful driver could wind up in an accident during a storm if they weren’t careful. And it didn’t help matters that the darkness decreased visibility as well.

Nonetheless, he had a couple more hours to drive to get back to London. He’d spent a weekend with some of his friends drinking away the pain of getting rejected from yet another acting part. Oh, the woes of a struggling actor. However, it was now time for Matt to get back to real life, which meant pounding the pavement to find auditions.

He flipped through several radio stations until he came upon a song he liked, and took a sip of his coffee before singing along quietly. Suddenly the rain picked up, pounding the windshield with such intensity that Matt instinctively slowed down, grumbling to himself and running a hand through his hair irritably. He kept a close watch on the road in front of him until he was distracted by something moving on the side of the road up ahead.

Squinting through the rain as he got closer, he made out that it was a person – a woman, to be more precise. She was hunched over against the rain, walking steadily onward with a large backpack on her back. Matt winced when he saw that she lacked an umbrella or rain jacket – the poor girl had to be soaked to the bone. And with the cold temperatures… she must be miserable. Surely it couldn’t hurt to offer her a ride somewhere?

After struggling with himself for a few moments about whether or not picking up a hitchhiker (Was she even considered a hitchhiker? She didn’t have her hand out…) was a good idea, his pity won out and he slowed to a stop beside her and rolled down the window.

“Hey! Need a ride somewhere?” he called out over the rain.

The woman stopped walking and turned to him. Wet curly hair was plastered to her forehead and Matt could see her teeth chattering from where he sat. He couldn’t help but notice she was beautiful, even when soaked and shivering. He pushed the thoughts from his mind as he awaited her answer. She looked at him warily, and hesitated.

He sighed. “Come on, I’m not going to hurt you. It’s bloody freezing and miserable out there. Just let me drive you somewhere warm, yeah?”

Matt could see her struggling with herself, biting her lip and looking him over. Finally, she gave in, letting herself into the car and stuffing her bag at her feet. He smiled to himself, glad that he was able to help her, and more selfishly, that he would have a bit of company if only for a short while. He rolled the window back up and began to drive again, thankful that the rain had let up slightly. After a few moments he glanced over to his passenger to see her shivering violently from the cold.

“Shit, sorry.” He reached over and turned the heat up as high as it would go, and pointed all of the vents in the car towards her. Then he reached his arm into the backseat where he had thrown his jacket earlier, and pulled it to the front. He handed it to her, and she draped it over herself gratefully. “It’s not much, but that might help.”

The woman gave a soft laugh. “It’s f-f-fine d-darling, thank y-you.”

Matt nodded, satisfied that he was helping her as best as he could at the moment. They rode on for a while, the silence between them disrupted only by the soft music coming from the radio and the rain pattering on the windows. Eventually the woman stopped shivering, and he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye.

“So… you got a name?”

He turned his head to glance at her only to see her looking at him with a raised eyebrow and an amused expression. He laughed and ran his hand through his hair. 

“Right, of course you have. May I ask what it is?”

“You may.”

Rolling his eyes he glanced at her again, and this time he was rewarded with a ridiculously sexy smirk. Seriously, who would have thought a smirk would look that good on a woman? 

“Okay then. What is your name?”

Matt was immediately rewarded with the piece of information he wanted, and he could hear the smile in her voice without even looking at her.

“I’m Alex.”

He grinned. Alex. It suited her, he thought. Lovely name. He reached out his hand from the steering wheel for her to shake, which she did while giving him a quiet laugh.

“Nice to meet you Alex, I’m Matt. Matt Smith. Do you have a nice last name to go with your first?”

He could sense her hesitation, unsure if she wanted to provide him with that information. However, he felt her relax quickly as she told him her last name.

“Kingston.”

“Kingston? That’s a brilliant last name. Alex Kingston. I like it!”

Alex rolled her eyes. “I’m so glad, I was worried you weren’t going to approve.”

“Oi! None of that now, Kingston. Keep the sass to yourself, I was paying you a compliment,” he said, winking at her.

She giggled and shot him a look. “You do realize Kingston is my last name, right?”

“It’s now your nickname. And a brilliant one at that.”

She raised an eyebrow but said nothing else about the matter. 

He grinned. “So Kingston, where are you headed?”

Alex’s happy expression seemed to falter slightly. “As close to London as you can get me,” she answered him quietly.

“Well then, you’re in luck. I happen to be heading into London tonight. You can ride with me the whole way, if you’d like. What’s going on in London? Is it home? Work? Or are you meeting one of the many men who I’m sure are lined up around the block to date you?” Matt waggled his eyebrows at her, and she let out a bright laugh.

“None of those, actually. I’m actually heading to Paris as soon as possible.”

“Oh? Travelling then?”

Alex sobered then, her expression becoming unhappy as she stared out the window. He glanced at her curiously.

“No, not travelling. I’m…” She hesitated, taking a breath before continuing. “I’m going to find my daughter. Well, not just find, exactly. I’m going to get her back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter Title from Zac Brown Band - I Play the Road


	2. Lean Upon Me, I'll Lean Upon You, We'll Be Okay

_“No, not travelling. I’m…” She hesitated, taking a breath before continuing. “I’m going to find my daughter. Well, not just find, exactly. I’m going to get her back.”_

 

Matt glanced at Alex, hoping she’d elaborate. When she remained silent, he spoke up.

“Err… Get her back from what exactly?”

Alex let out a breath and leaned her head back against the seat. “Oh, darling, that is a complicated story.”

Matt shrugged and gestured to the road ahead of them. “Well, we do have a bit of a drive… Plenty of time for storytelling.”

She turned her head to look him over as he drove. He had floppy hair and was young… But there was something about him that made her relax and trust him. She hardly knew him, but Matt didn’t seem like the kind of person who would do anything to hurt her. It was because of this that she opened her mouth and the story began to spill out.

“It started a few months ago. My daughter lived in Los Angeles with my husband – well, ex-husband I guess, we were separated. I was living in London most of the time, but I would often travel to the States for my job.”

“What’s your job?” Matt interrupted, and then blushed. “Sorry, if you don’t mind me asking.” 

“I’m an artist. Painting mostly. Though I did attend drama school, so I do the occasional play as well.”

“You act? That’s brilliant, so do I! Well, I’m trying to at least.”

Alex nodded knowingly. “It’s not an easy career, acting. That’s why I focused on my art instead. Anyway, my daughter, Salome: she spent most of her time with her father. I travelled too much for her to have a stable home with me.”

She sighed, and fiddled with the sleeve of the jacket that was settled over her. “I suppose I should have been there more, should have kept better tabs. But I figured everything was fine, Florian was a competent enough father. But for what he had in the parenting department he lacked in common sense… He got mixed up with some bad people, made some unwise decisions. He got involved with this group called Watchen and Sons, which was just a cover name for their fake business. They’re really called The Watch. Basically, he owed this group of people money, and wasn’t able to pay it back in time.

“He kept all of this from me until the very end. He called me to tell me that he thought Salome should stay with me for a while. So I got myself a flight back to the States. I had just landed when a family friend called me – Florian had been murdered.”

“Oh shit, seriously?”

Alex nodded. “Mmhmm. Florian was dead and my little girl… They’d taken her.”

Matt quickly glanced over at her, expecting to see tears. However, she had put on a brave face, staring resolutely out of the windshield. The seconds ticked on and he opened his mouth to say something before she interrupted him.

“So my friend, Jenna, she knew someone who had been involved with The Watch years back. She told me that I needed to hide and keep a low profile in case they came after me as well. She figured they’d hold Salome until I could pay back the money Florian owed. However, I got in contact with the informant, and he told me that they’d use her as leverage to get money, information… Whatever they want.

“So instead, John- oh, oops. I’m not supposed to use his name. Erm, well, John is the informant. He’s been updating me on their movements and locations, and I’ve been tracking them for three weeks now. I’ve had to use any means of travel that didn’t require identification, in case The Watch is actively looking for me. I’m heading to Paris because that’s where John has currently tracked them to.”

Matt stared out with windshield, eyes wide and hands gripping the steering wheel tightly. He took a moment to just process the influx of information. The Watch was starting to sound like the mafia or something, and he couldn’t believe that this woman, a simple artist, was going to try to take them on by herself. 

“Blimey. Uh… Have you thought this through? I mean, I admire your bravery and all, but do you really know what you’re dealing with?”

Alex whipped her head around to glare at him fiercely. “For your information, I have thought it through. And no matter what dangers might lie ahead of me, nothing matters except getting my daughter back and making sure she is safe. Nothing you or anyone else might say will change my mind.”

Matt took a deep breath and ran his hand through his hair. He definitely believed in her resolve. Nothing he said was going to change her mind. But he couldn’t deal with letting her run off into danger on her own. She’d already spent the past three weeks traveling by herself, and if the state he found her in was any indication, she could use a break and perhaps some help. But what the hell did he know about finding a kidnapped little girl and saving the day? He’d never done anything particularly heroic in his life, save for the time his sister had broken her foot and he’d given her a piggyback ride home from the playground. 

So why was his mind drifting into thoughts of heroics and maybe getting a kiss (A _kiss_? Where had that come from?) for his good deed? It’s not like he really had anything to lose: no job, no girlfriend, nothing to tie him down. He could use an adventure. And if he helped a pretty girl along the way, wouldn’t that be even better? He mentally argued with himself for a few more moments before practically blurting out, “Do you want me to help?”

Alex jumped slightly and regarded him carefully. “You _are_ helping, darling. You’re giving me a lift to London.”

“No Kingston, I mean… Do you want me to come to Paris with you and help you get your daughter back?”

She stared at him, mouth wide open. “Wha- Why would you do that?”

He shrugged. “I dunno. You seem like you could use some help, or company, or something. And you seem really nice, and I like you already, and it’s not like I have anything to do. I could, I dunno, be the getaway driver or something. Or I could-“

He was cut off by Alex’s hand over his mouth. “Hush darling, you’re rambling.”

Matt grinned sheepishly as she removed her hand. “Well? What do you say, care to let me help out?”

Alex pursed her lips and looked him over once more. She seemed to be having a mental battle of her own before she finally said, “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt for you to come along if you really wanted to. I mean, I don’t want to force you into anything, but you could always back out later. They do say two heads are better than one, right? I-“

“Kingston! You’re rambling now.”

“Sorry.”

“S’alright. So, can I come?”

Alex nodded and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, you can if you want to.”

Matt grinned and bounced a little in his seat. “Brilliant. We’re going to be the best spy team ever. We’ll get your little girl back in no time.”

Alex bit her lip to keep from laughing at his antics. When he settled down, she reached out a hand and placed it on his arm. “Matt… Seriously, thank you,” she said softly.

He turned and shot her a smile. “Don’t you worry Kingston. Everything is going to be just fine.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh lord sorry this took so long to update. Hopefully the next chapter will be up much sooner, but no promises! Let me know what you think!  
> Chapter Title from Dave Matthews Band - 34


	3. Not really sure how to feel about it, something in the way you move

The rest of the ride to London passed quickly, filled with discussion on how to get to Paris and where to go from there. They soon found themselves waiting for a taxi at the rental car company. While in the car, they had talked about the best way to get to London. Matt had suggested flying, an idea which Alex was quick to squash. Buying tickets would require identification, and Alex was still trying to travel anonymously so that The Watch wouldn’t be able to find her.

Matt had then brought up keeping the rental car, but the fees for taking it all the way to Paris would have been outrageous. In the end, they’d decided on taking a bus, and picking up a car when they arrived. After checking the bus departures on Matt’s phone, they figured they had plenty of time to stop by his apartment beforehand to change and relax a little.

As their taxi pulled up to the curb, Matt shouldered both of their bags to put in the trunk. Alex stood and reached out her hand to stop him.

“Matt. I know you said you wanted to help, but honestly, I can just take this taxi and go-”

“Nope, Kingston.” He shook his head, dancing away from her arm to place the bags in the trunk. Slamming it shut, he walked around and opened the door for her. “I told you: I’m doing this, I’m helping you. Stop protesting and let’s go.”

Alex stared at him for a moment before nodding and sliding into the cab. Matt slid in next to her and they were off. He leaned forward to talk to the driver and she couldn’t help but notice the way his thigh pressed against hers. It made her heart race, this innocent touch that he wasn’t even aware of. She swallowed and adjusted herself carefully to move her leg from his. It wasn’t that she didn’t want his touch – quite the opposite, actually. It surprised her how attractive she found Matt. And it didn’t help that the last time she’d been with a man had been, oh, ages ago. 

But that was a dangerous path to travel. She couldn’t afford to think about anything like that at a time like this. Alex needed to focus on finding her daughter. Everything else – if anything – could come later. She had no time to think about stupid things like her attraction for this generous, kind stranger with a strong chin and what looked like toned muscles underneath his – nope, nope, nope. None of that now. Alex shook her head to clear her thoughts, and focused on watching the lights of London pass them by.

They quickly arrived at Matt’s apartment, and he paid the driver before Alex even had a chance to protest. She rolled her eyes as she stepped out of the cab and followed Matt, who was already bounding up the stairs to the door. 

He let them in and set their bags down by the door. “Okay, so we’ve got three hours. Plenty of time to relax, eh?”

“Thank goodness. You don’t mind if I shower, do you?”  
“Of course not! Let’s see, bathroom’s down that hall, there should be clean towels in there. So, if you want to freshen up I’ll order some dinner, yeah?”

Alex nodded and set off down the hall. Matt turned to his bag, and then called after her, “Oh, and if you want to stick any dirty clothes in the washer, I’ll run a load before we leave!”

Alex waved a hand in reply, dumping a few things in the washer before disappearing into the bathroom. Matt started the laundry and ordered the food before settling on his couch. Nothing to do but wait, now. For both the food, and some company. As he flicked on the television, his mind wandered back to Alex, who was currently in his shower. In his shower… naked.

_Shit_. Matt swallowed heavily, and shifted on the couch, his jeans feeling uncomfortably tight all of the sudden. He wasn’t blind, the woman was gorgeous. But she was sort of in the middle of a personal crisis, and he had no business to think of her like that. Yet, he hoped. Maybe when all this was over she’d consider going on a date with him. Yep, that’s what he’d hope for. 

Two and a half hours later, they were fed and showered with fresh clothes and on their way to the bus station. In line, Alex began to panic. Her cash supply had run low, and she had barely enough to cover the ticket. This time it was Matt’s turn to roll his eyes.

“Kingston, relax. I’ll cover it.”

“Oh, no, but I couldn’t possibly-”

“Yes, you could. And please do.”

Alex’s protests fell on deaf ears as he paid for the bus tickets with his credit card, making sure that her name was untraceable. They clambered aboard the waiting bus, and soon they were on their way to Paris.

Half an hour into the drive, Matt glanced over to see Alex’s head bobbing as she began to nod off. A slight turn of the bus caused her to lean into his side, her head on his shoulder. Feeling the sudden warmth of his body, she sat up blearily and apologized.

“Nonsense, Alex. You look exhausted. Come on, just sleep. We’ll be there by the time you wake up.”

He lifted his arm and she watched him for a moment before settling once again against his side, head nestled on his shoulder. He in turn wrapped his arm tightly around her, turning to press a kiss to the top of her head on instinct. He froze for a moment, concerned that he’d crossed some sort of line, but she said nothing, and he relaxed.

The moment his lips touched her head, Alex’s eyes had snapped open. She held her breath – surely he was just overly affectionate. There was no way he felt the same attraction she felt, right? She willed herself once again to put the issue out of her mind until all of this was over. Soon enough, the movement of the bus and Matt’s thumb stroking against her arm soothed her into sleep, where she dreamed alternately of finding Salome and of the floppy-haired man next to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long. The story should start to pick up in the next chapter or so!
> 
> Chapter title from "Stay" by Rihanna


End file.
